Dining Etiquette

Nepal and Bhutan Etiquette

international dining etiquette

Daily life in both countries, with the exception of Kathmandu and certain tourist areas, has not changed from the way it has always essentially been, and the protocols and etiquettes of both Hindu and Buddhist cultures overlap and influence each other in a fabric of repeating agrarian cycles. It should be noted that aspects of both Hinduism and Buddhism, in the face of being integrated into one another in these agrarian cultures, are often exaggerated; for example, in Nepal, the Hindu concern for making food impure by touching it is exaggerated so that when drinking from a cup, one should hold it so that the fluid goes into the mouth, but the lips never touch the cup rim (this may be difficult to master at first). While tea is the local daily drink, chang (a fermented version of millet) is the local brew. One must take special care not to cause the members of one caste or sect to socialize or come in contact with members of another in typical daily activities. Fire is sacred, so, as a guest in a home, you will never be invited into the kitchen, and you must never casually toss anything into a flame.

Menu Planning Guide

Invitation Etiquette

When do you send out invitations to a dinner party? How long should you give guests to respond? Want invitation formatting tips? Read more in our invitation etiquette section.

Wine Tasting Etiquette

Once it is poured into the proper glass, it’s time to evaluate and enjoy the wine. Evaluating wine involves four basic steps – looking, swirling, smelling, and tasting.

Step #1 – Look. Holding the wine glass up against a white background, such as a napkin or table cloth, to evaluate its color and clarity. Red wines should range in color from deep purple to brick red. White wines should range in color from lemon gold to golden amber.

Step #2 – Swirl. Swirl the wine in your glass to aerate it.

Step #3 – Smell. Put your nose in the glass and take a deep breath. Older wines should have subtler aromas than younger ones.

Step #4 – Taste. To taste the wine, fill your mouth about ½ full and subtly swish the wine around.